I talk with Sally all the time "i want to be a better beekeeper", "i want stronger colonies that produce lot's of honey", "i want my beekeeping processes to be better" I actually go on and on. We strategize and organize. We discuss different methods. We always get side tracked with other projects, like web page building, marketing, building things, helping others, and just developing the business-Mamabehive Honey Farm.
Then there is our personal lives and our health that come in to play. 'Family first' they always say. At the same time there is a life of a hive that hangs in the balance.
For beekeeping you are only the manager of the colony but a lost rides on the future of your colony. You have time and money invested you don't want it to fail. So about every10 days I have a time clock that foy's off in my brain and it does not stop alarming until I get to all my hives....It can get a little noisy in my head. I can be talking to you but I am really going over what I would either be doing or the lost of things that need to be done.
So my new year's resolution goes like this:
Take care of my husband and my relationship with God.
Take care of my family's needs as reasonable as possible.
Outside of my household-Take care of my bees before I agree to do anything else. That is a hard one-I have two other part time jobs that keep me busy.
Tomorrow I will outline what I mean by taking care of my bees.
Learn more advanced techniques about bees.
Share with young people about bees.
Teach anyone about beekeeping.
Build the Mamabehive brand.
These are not in order but will shake out in the right order. I invite you to come along with me and Sally on this journey. This year with these resolutions it's going to be a wild flight-in honor of the honeybees.
Beekeeping ss fun
Monday, December 31, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Bees in my shirt
Hive Report for Thursday...Dec. 27
As a beekeeper sometimes, every once in a while honey bees while working them will get inside your shirt. I had been in a hive and felt one crawling on my belly inside my shirt. I reached inside and got her out. Found out there was more. I went to the grocery store afterwards, I was standing in line and a honeybee flew off of my jacket and info the store.
Lake Wylie hives were stable and strong in numbers. One was really down in the amount of stores or honey available inside the hive. So I placed one honey frame and a fondant frame. There was only one that did not need anything. I was pleasantly surprised to find them coming out shaking their fist at me stinging me on the leg. I had black pants on. Also visited uncle ron's..it looked good too.
Below is a picture of the strongest and lots of honey stores. The other is a picture of all the hives.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Christmas Day Hive report
Hive report for the past 10 days. Went to springs farm to insert fondant frames and forgot my hive tool. No beekeeping without hive tool. Just observing front porch activity they were flying out and kind up and all around kinda like dancing. Cleansing flight and stretching their wings. I hope that some were triangulating. This is the hive that Had a high mite count. The other hives at the vegetable patch was doing well too ...flying out and dancing around. One hive was low on stores.
Haven't visited to any other hives lately but hope to change that on Tuesday. I must get these fondant frames put in hives with more stores. Can't wait to see all the hives.
Since I was unable to place fondant frames in hives just yet, they are sitting on my back porch. My back for neighbor has bees and they found the frames. They are very happy to for the Christmas treat.
Things to do:
Taking two empty hives at Bigger's
Checking black's hives & placing fondant frames
Checking in on Foy's, LWA, placing fondant frames
Checking on Tim's and placing fondant frames
For beginner beekeepers fondant is a cooked candy that can help sustain a hive for many days. I am placing them in a deep brood box or brood chamber replacing an empty frame with the fondant frame. In these chillyer temps you have to be quick opening the hive or you can gl the winter brood. That will result in death of the pupae and they will be discarded.
Remember always shop www.mamabehive.com for all your honey, beeswax products and candle needs.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
A Sting for Everyone
Hive Report for Monday 17th
I was storing some honey frames where a fat honey bee on the frame was barely moving. I don't like a honey bee they give us so much value to our lives. So I called out to my husband that his elbow was going to be stung for pain relief for a tennis elbow. He said "NO" and I said "YES" I explained that it would not hurt for more than 2 minutes. So I applied ice cubes on the area and then placed the honeybee directly on his elbow. The honeybee stung him and he yelped. He said it hurt bad and winced in pain and even leaped off his chair. I gave him sympathy and sure enough after 2 minutes he calmed down. He felt it was helping just hours afterwards. I actually found a second honey bee and allowed him to sting my lower back. I have been diagnosed with arthritis. So an occasional sting helps to feel better.
I will keep you posted ...I know it will work.
I was storing some honey frames where a fat honey bee on the frame was barely moving. I don't like a honey bee they give us so much value to our lives. So I called out to my husband that his elbow was going to be stung for pain relief for a tennis elbow. He said "NO" and I said "YES" I explained that it would not hurt for more than 2 minutes. So I applied ice cubes on the area and then placed the honeybee directly on his elbow. The honeybee stung him and he yelped. He said it hurt bad and winced in pain and even leaped off his chair. I gave him sympathy and sure enough after 2 minutes he calmed down. He felt it was helping just hours afterwards. I actually found a second honey bee and allowed him to sting my lower back. I have been diagnosed with arthritis. So an occasional sting helps to feel better.
I will keep you posted ...I know it will work.
Monday, December 17, 2012
A Moment in the Life of a HoneyBee
Hive Report for Thursday 13th
I only had a few minutes to visit one apiary site. I was excited and hoped that all the colonies were strong and ready for what i had for them...fondant frames and honey frames. I got there and began working and the first hive was aggravated and i didnt have gloves on and no smoker. So i got few stings but was able to put in a fondant frame and a honey frame. I found two hives that were empty. no stores, no brood, no bees-just nothing. The last time i saw bees in there was three weeks ago. It had two honey supers on it. I will have to do take it apart soon to see what possibly happened to it. Originally was used for pollination this spring at Springs Farm. Time ran short and was unable to do any more work.
During these colder temps bees are clustering and not interested in sugar syrup so fondant could save a colony or honey is what they prefer. This is a critical time as well as January and February. While bees are in the cluster they are over top of a section of honey frame and they use an incredible amount of energy so they are consuming lots of honey. There could be 10-20 thousand bees and that is a lot of honey needed to keep bees alive. Only one bee is not eating the honey and that is the Queen she is only fed Royal Jelly her entire life. So if they are consuming lots of honey they could easily go thru a frame of honey with in days and run out before they could produce more. If they don't have food they can starve....Yikes!
Sally and I worked all day on making fondant frames to add to hives that need food supplement. One of our good beekeeper friends lost her hives and had some leftover honey frames. She wanted us to have them so instead of it going to waste.
During my trip i got 10 stings. I was bending over and took one in the but cheek. i really hate that.
I only had a few minutes to visit one apiary site. I was excited and hoped that all the colonies were strong and ready for what i had for them...fondant frames and honey frames. I got there and began working and the first hive was aggravated and i didnt have gloves on and no smoker. So i got few stings but was able to put in a fondant frame and a honey frame. I found two hives that were empty. no stores, no brood, no bees-just nothing. The last time i saw bees in there was three weeks ago. It had two honey supers on it. I will have to do take it apart soon to see what possibly happened to it. Originally was used for pollination this spring at Springs Farm. Time ran short and was unable to do any more work.
During these colder temps bees are clustering and not interested in sugar syrup so fondant could save a colony or honey is what they prefer. This is a critical time as well as January and February. While bees are in the cluster they are over top of a section of honey frame and they use an incredible amount of energy so they are consuming lots of honey. There could be 10-20 thousand bees and that is a lot of honey needed to keep bees alive. Only one bee is not eating the honey and that is the Queen she is only fed Royal Jelly her entire life. So if they are consuming lots of honey they could easily go thru a frame of honey with in days and run out before they could produce more. If they don't have food they can starve....Yikes!
Sally and I worked all day on making fondant frames to add to hives that need food supplement. One of our good beekeeper friends lost her hives and had some leftover honey frames. She wanted us to have them so instead of it going to waste.
During my trip i got 10 stings. I was bending over and took one in the but cheek. i really hate that.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Wednesday Hive Report
Today's plans started yesterday and changed overnight with the news of 40deg and rainy. I planned to visit bee yards wed and thur. Then I realized that Sally and I forgot to make fondant frames on Tuesday.
New game plan...go to the studio in the morning and make fondant and maybe I get to visit bees. Making Fondant is like walking thru the woods in the pitch black woods with moon. It is a pretty hard thing to do with out messing up. We had to boil the syrup three times before we got it cooked up.
After making the fondant frames we decided it was too cold and rainy to open hives and expose them to damp weather. So tomorrow is going to be the day and some on Friday.
We were productive Sally Kae lip butter and packaged them while I worked online. All the while we made fondant. For those of you that want to buy fondant at the cake suppliers- don't it is made with corn syrup. No good for the bees!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Hive Report in the office
Today was a work day inside the Studio. We worked on the complex subjects for website, wholesale, and retail sales.
We also discussed the possibility of having a Summer beekeeping Camp for kids ages 13 and up. We would have a 7 hour day with a break for lunch and snack. Have to research cost and how to vet potential students. Kind of excited about teaching students how to beekeep so that they will forever be beekeepers.
Could Amazon.com be our next great adventure for exposure? It's not free but it is the largest online retail in the world. there is nothing like what MamaBeehive is doing. I believe it where we should go but it cost.
Worked on Pinterest. It is cool and can see how we can reach out to others with our products. And learn what others are doing with honey and beeswax. The possibilities are endless.
i worked on the web while Sally worked on filling orders like pouring honey, pouring wax and shipping. It was good productive day in the office.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, we will make fondant for the bees. We have some hives that were low in stores, so they need to be monitored. Will be out in the field on Wednesday and Thursday.
We also discussed the possibility of having a Summer beekeeping Camp for kids ages 13 and up. We would have a 7 hour day with a break for lunch and snack. Have to research cost and how to vet potential students. Kind of excited about teaching students how to beekeep so that they will forever be beekeepers.
Could Amazon.com be our next great adventure for exposure? It's not free but it is the largest online retail in the world. there is nothing like what MamaBeehive is doing. I believe it where we should go but it cost.
Worked on Pinterest. It is cool and can see how we can reach out to others with our products. And learn what others are doing with honey and beeswax. The possibilities are endless.
i worked on the web while Sally worked on filling orders like pouring honey, pouring wax and shipping. It was good productive day in the office.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, we will make fondant for the bees. We have some hives that were low in stores, so they need to be monitored. Will be out in the field on Wednesday and Thursday.
1st Hive Report
This blog will help Sally, who works from the candle studio and honey house, know what is going on inside the hive when I report from the field. Sally has many many hours of study on honeybees. As this business grows and our hives grow in numbers it is important for both of us to be on the same page. The way to do this is when i am in the field, I blog this and Sally will be able to give direction if I missed anything. I can put up pictures and videos that will allow her to see what I see.
Our history working together goes back to 2005. We met at church. Prior to that I had been praying for a beekeeping mentor for 20 years. When Sally said she was a beekeeper I told her "you are going to be my new best friend" We became friends and began beekeeping together. She started her business MamaBeehive Honey Farm in 2005 where is bottled honey, makes beeswax candles and other hive products. I became serious about in 2010, where I felt God calling me to become a full-time beekeeper. We realized that there was things Sally needed help with and there things I needed only Sally could help me with, so we merged our efforts together.
You the viewer is invited to on this journey with us.....
Our history working together goes back to 2005. We met at church. Prior to that I had been praying for a beekeeping mentor for 20 years. When Sally said she was a beekeeper I told her "you are going to be my new best friend" We became friends and began beekeeping together. She started her business MamaBeehive Honey Farm in 2005 where is bottled honey, makes beeswax candles and other hive products. I became serious about in 2010, where I felt God calling me to become a full-time beekeeper. We realized that there was things Sally needed help with and there things I needed only Sally could help me with, so we merged our efforts together.
You the viewer is invited to on this journey with us.....
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